SOME of York’s biggest museums have attracted record numbers of visitors in the past year, new figures have revealed.

Attractions run by York Museums Trust – the Castle Museum, York Art Gallery, York St Mary’s and the Yorkshire Museum – received 100,000 more visitors than in the previous year.

They had a total of 641,160 visitors between April 1, 2010, and March 31 this year, an overall increase of 21 per cent on the previous year’s figure.

The Yorkshire Museum, which was closed between November 2009 and August 2010 for a £2 million refurbishment, was up by 130 per cent for the period August 2010 to April 2011, compared to the same period in 2008/2009.

The Art Gallery saw visitor numbers vastly increase during the last few months thanks to the display of David Hockney’s Bigger Trees Near Warter, with 77,936 people seeing the work between February 10 and March 31. More than 5,000 visitors came in one day on February 21.

The Castle Museum saw more than 300,000 visitors during 2010/11, an increase of six per cent.

Janet Barnes, chief executive of York Museums Trust, said the transformation of the Yorkshire Museum had been key to the large increase.

“But we are equally pleased that York Castle Museum has again seen visitor numbers steadily rise year on year, while the gallery has seen numbers increase by 39 per cent,” she said.

“We believe numbers have increased this significantly because the trust has continued to invest in the attractions, exhibitions and events as well as offering real value for money in this tough economic climate.” A trust spokesman said the museums had benefited from a “kids go free with one paying adult” offer, and also through tickets being valid for 12 months, allowing free return visits.

“The exhibition, One Hundred Years Of Gifts, China and Hats at York Art Gallery saw visitor numbers increase when compared to the same period last year.”